KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has approved a comprehensive Rs21.53 billion infrastructure package for Karachi, including a Rs13 billion grant-in-aid aimed at rehabilitating and improving roads under the jurisdiction of Town Municipal Corporations (TMCs), in a major move to ease traffic congestion and improve public safety in the metropolis.
The approval was granted during a high-level meeting at CM House, attended by Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi, Finance Secretary Fayaz Jatoi, Secretary to the CM Raheem Shaikh, and other senior officials.
According to a press release issued by the CM’s office, 24 TMCs across Karachi had sought financial assistance to repair severely deteriorated roads and streets, citing limited fiscal capacity to undertake the work independently. Mayor Wahab informed the meeting that 409 roads across Karachi’s seven districts require rehabilitation, including 400 roads needing patchwork repairs and nine requiring complete reconstruction due to structural damage.
A detailed breakdown revealed that road rehabilitation across the seven districts would cost Rs10.93bn, while an additional 15 percent allocation of Rs1.64bn has been earmarked for associated sewerage and water supply works, bringing the total TMC road-related project cost to Rs12.57bn. Including other charges, the overall TMC mega scheme has been estimated at Rs13.32bn.
District-wise data showed Malir with the highest number of roads identified for repair (98), followed by West (81), Central (53), South (50), East (49), Korangi (39) and Keamari (39). The highest estimated cost was for Keamari District (Rs2.32bn), followed closely by West (Rs2.31bn) and East (Rs1.85bn).
Major allocations under the TMC schemes include TMC Manghopir (Rs1.75bn), TMC Gadap (Rs960m), TMC Baldia (Rs944m) and TMC Mauripur (Rs858m). While most projects involve patchwork repairs, selected roads in Gulberg, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Sohrab Goth, Orangi, Manghopir, Saddar and Landhi will undergo end-to-end rehabilitation.
CM Murad also recalled his earlier directives issued on January 7, under which the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) was tasked with rehabilitating 26 major roads. Mayor Wahab presented KMC estimates amounting to Rs8.53bn, including Rs5.53bn for road reconstruction and resurfacing, Rs1bn for urgent water and sewerage repairs by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC), Rs1bn for storm drain retention wall construction and reinforcement, and Rs1bn for streetlight installation and upgrades.
Emphasising the urgency of the work, the chief minister directed all departments to fast-track approvals and ensure transparent, high-quality and timely execution. “Public amenities and the safety of citizens remain the top priorities of the Sindh government,” CM Murad said, while instructing the Finance Department to release funds immediately to allow work to commence without delay.
He further directed all relevant departments and TMCs to ensure coordinated execution of road, sewerage and water supply projects to avoid repeated digging and inconvenience to the public, warning that transparency and quality control would be strictly monitored.
In November last year, CM Murad had also approved a Rs25bn special package for Karachi following extensive damage to road infrastructure caused by heavy rains, underscoring the provincial government’s continued focus on rehabilitating the city’s critical infrastructure.
Story by Tahir Siddiqui
